Lions Moving On From Dan Orlovsky, Opening Door For Jake Rudock

PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 12: Dan Orlovsky #8 of the Detroit Lions directs the offense during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 12, 2016 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

That concludes Orlovsky’s second stint in Detroit. The first came from 2005 to 2008, after the Lions selected him in the fifth round of the 2005 draft. The UConn product never enjoyed much personal success in Detroit – he lost seven games and committed an infamous safety in the Lions’ 0-16 season – but still holds the city close to his heart.

DetroitVsEverybody

It'll always be where it started for me. It'll always have a piece of my heart.

With Orlovsky out, the Lions look prepared to hand the backup QB reins to Jake Rudock. The team’s sixth-round draft pick in 2016 showed some nice flashes in preseason before spending the rest of the year on the practice squad.

“I felt like I got a better grasp of the playbook,” Rudock said at the conclusion of the season, via MLive.com. “You’re installing plays every week, and just got a good idea of what’s happening. I mean, preseason, it was a blur. Now it’s more I know the reads, what they’re trying to do with them.”

Rudock benefited from the tutelage of Orlovksy and Matthew Stafford.

“I’m just following these guys,” he said. “Whatever they were doing, I tried to follow it as closely as I can. I think a lot of just how they approach the game — both those guys — on a daily and weekly basis really helped me understand what it takes to play quarterback at this level… So it was just a lot of good learning experiences for a young player.”